Category Archives: DIY

Homemade Gift Box Tutorial

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I know I haven’t posted new pieces in a few days, but, aside from being extremely sick and recovering at my parents’ house, I have been filling orders! One thing I really like to do when I send out an order, is send it in a nice little jewelry gift box. However, these little boxes can get really pricy, and that’s just another area where expenses can really add up.  So, I decided to start making my own and repurpose old gift boxes that I’ve received and accumulated over the years. (My parents’ house is a gold mine for these little guys.)  It’s a super easy project; making these boxes is quick, fast, and they are much cuter than the standard white/grey/brown gift boxes that still can run up to $3.00 a pop. Also, if you want to keep your creations, you can match these boxes to a room in your house, and use them as cute little storage containers. You can find any of the materials in your own home– and there is a lot of leeway with what you can use to make these boxes. I also think it adds a nice personal touch for customers,or for whomever is going to be the recipient of the gift, but maybe that’s just me!

What You Need:

1. Old Gift Box: (or even just a small box that held really anything you bought at the store, depending on how you want the box to open/look when you are finished.)

***For bigger boxes for displayed storage, you could definitely use a shoe box or an old packing box.

2. Glue: Elmer’s Rubber Cement is GREAT, but you can use Mod Podge (a favorite of mine), or even any old glue stick (as long as you make sure the paper is secured to the box well enough so that it won’t peel off).

3. Paper: I used scrapbook paper that I found at the bottom of my closet at my parents’ house, but you can get creative and use anything (newspaper, old destroyed book pages, magazine pages- get creative!)

4. Scissors

5. Pencil

Okay, the instructions are SUPER easy, but I’ll be as detailed as possible, just in case you reallllly like details!

Instructions:

1. Remove the lid of the gift box, and place the box on its side on the side of the paper that won’t be showing. Line up the top edge of the box with the edge of the paper, and trace along the top edge of bottom of the box where it meets the bottom edge of the first side of the box. Trace the two remaining edges of Side #1.

2. Flip the box right side up, and trace along the bottom’s 3 remaining edges.

3. Now, with the box resting right side up, flip it forward, so that it is again on its side (Side #2) and trace that side.

**Recap so far: So up until this point from the left: you traced the left side, rolled the box to the right and traced the bottom, and then rolled the box forward and traced Side #2.

4. Flip the box back so that its bottom rests on the paper inside the lines that you traced. Repeat step 3, BUT this time, roll the box back toward you to trace Side #3 (opposite from side #2)

5. Flip the box back to the center, so that it is in the position from step 2. Roll it to the right so that it is on its 4th and final side, and trace around that.

Here is a pictures of how it should look when you are done tracing:

6. If the box has a removable lid, repeat steps 1-4 above for the lid.

7. Cut along the outer lines that you traced.

8. Bend each of the 4 side pieces, (they stick out from the center piece) toward you along the lines that make up the outer lines that you traced around the bottom. The paper, in 3-D now that it is folded, should fit around the bottom of the box and its 4 sides perfectly.

9. Cover the bottom of the box, and the 4 sides- or cover the side of the paper where you have traced around the box in glue(they will have the same result) and place the box inside the little shell you have made, and press the paper against all the sides of the box, making sure it sticks around all of the edges.

10. If the box has a lid, Repeat steps 7-9 for the lid.

Let it dry.

Anndddd you’re done. You now have a cute little box that you can use as storage, or to hold a gift.

         

Looking at the steps, this project may seem time consuming, but I just got a little wordy… definitely more than necessary. It took me all of 3 minutes from start to finish to create the box shown above. I made it while watching tv- my pencil broke and I had to locate a pen, and I dropped the glue under the bed (I’m sick so I’m operating out of my bed. So, I’m being lazy, sue me.) Anyways, in short, this is an incredibly fast, cute, and most importantly, money saving project. It may even be time saving if, like me, you spent several hours trolling the internet looking for a deal on gift boxes to order in bulk, or have to run to the store to buy a gift box every time you give a present.

Hope you like this tutorial!

DIY Coasters: Porcelain & Wood Sets

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Last week, I posted about a featured designer, Sam Birch for her really cute String Art Project– this week, I am going to feature another art project of hers, and one of mine- different ways to make DIY COASTERS.

 Sam’s Porcelain Tile Coasters (from separate sets):

Materials:

1. Scrapbook Paper (Michael’s, Joann Fabrics, etc.)

2. Porcelain Tile (Home Depot ~$1.00)

3. Mod Podge (Michael’s, Joann Fabrics)

4. Mod Podge Sealer (Michael’s, Joann Fabrics)

5. Ruler

6. Scissors

7. Paint Brush/Sponge Brush (Michael’s, Home Depot, Joann Fabrics)

To Make Sam’s Porcelain Tile Coasters: 

Step 1:

Measure the tile with the ruler, or trace the tile face down on the back of the piece of scrapbook paper. If you want the porcelain to show and create a sort of matte border around the paper, use the ruler to measure the tile, then, when using the ruler to draw the square on the back of the scrapbook paper,  leave a centimeter or so on each side.

Step 2:

Cut the squares out, duh.

Step 3: 

Cover the Porcelain Tile in a layer of the Mod Podge and place the scrapbook paper over the Mod Podge layer on the porcelain tile. Cover the top of the piece of paper with Mod Podge as well.

Let it dry.

Step 4:

Spray the Mod Podge Sealer over the whole tile evenly.

Let it dry.

**While the regular Mod Podge should technically be enough, the sealer ensures that the paper will really harden onto the tile. Without the sealer, glasses with a lot of condensation on them kept sticking to the coasters. The sealer eliminated this issue.

Step 5:

Enjoy your coasters!

My Aged Wooden Tile Coasters (part of one large set requested by my mother):

Materials:

1. Scrapbook Paper (Michael’s, Joann Fabrics, etc.)

2. Wooden Block (Michael’s 3 for $1.00 on sale  $0.70 e/ when not )

3. Mod Podge- I used Antique, to create the, yep you guessed it, Antique look, but any Mod Podge will work. (Michael’s, Joann Fabrics)

4. Mod Podge Sealer (Michael’s, Joann Fabrics)

5. Ruler

6. Scissors

7. Paint Brush/Sponge Brush (Michael’s, Home Depot, Joann Fabrics)

8. Paint, two shades of green: Sage & Spanish Olive

9. Americana Weathered Wood Crackle (I used medium, I would suggest a stronger one for better effect)

Here is a picture of some of the materials I used ( and Sam too!)

To Make My Aged Wooden Tile Coasters: 

Step 1:

Cover the wooden tile in a layer of one of the paint colors. My first layer was Spanish Olive because I wanted the Sage to be more prominent.

Let it Dry.

Step 2:

Cover the wooden tile with a layer of the Wood Crackle.

Let it dry.

Step 3:

Cover the wooden tile with a layer of the second paint color. My second color was the Sage.

Let it dry.

**Steps 1-3 create the crackled wood effect, making the wood look aged and have a more antique appearance.

Step 4:

Measure the top of the wooden tile with the ruler- because the wood is carved in a sort of relief style, tracing it will not work. Trace the dimensions from measuring the wooden tile onto the back of the scrapbook paper.

Step 5:

Use common sense and cut them out.

Step 6: 

Cover the top of the wooden tile in a layer of the Mod Podge and place the scrapbook paper over the Mod Podge layer on the tile. Cover the top of the piece of paper with Mod Podge as well.

Let it Dry.

**I used the Antique Mod Podge because it creates the aged effect on the paper. (obvious I know, but still, thought I would let you know).

Step 7:

Spray the Mod Podge Sealer over the whole coaster.

Let Dry.

Step 8:

Enjoy your coaster- coasterS if you decide to make sense and make more than 1.

Sam gave our roommate and I the coasters pictured above as a gift- and we love them! I told my mother about the coasters Sam gave me, and she wanted a set immediately. They were fun and easy to make, and incredibly useful. We have a set in every room of our apartment, and my mother has the monster wooden set at my parents’ house.

Hope you enjoyed our project tutorials & liked our DIY coasters! 

Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to follow lakeshore lavaliere for more DIY tutorials and new jewelry pieces!

Repurpose Your Junk: Turn a Lamp, Drawer, & a Picture Frame into a Side Table

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The other day, I made a trip back to my parents’ house, and my mom had a bunch of old furniture and junk that she was planning on getting rid of. I recently saw an article about turning your junk and old furniture destined for the garbage dump into something new, and thought I would try it. I need a little table in my room to hold my freestanding jewelry holders so I decided to try to make one.

Materials:

Lamp: 

Drawer: 

Old Picture Frame: 

Piece of Scrapbook Paper (Joanne Fabrics $1.19): 

Mod Podge: 

Black Paint: (Joanne Fabrics Martha Stewart Black Paint, $1.39)

Gold Paint: (Joanne Martha Stewart Gold Paint, $1.39)

Paint Brushes

Elmer’s Wood Glue (other adhesives could work, I’m sure)

Step 1: 

Cut the lamp cord and unscrew the part where the lightbulb would go, so that you only have the lamp’s base.

Step 2:

Paint the lamp & the picture frame with whatever color you choose. Do the same with the drawer. I painted the lamp and the frame black & painted the drawer gold.

I also painted the matting of the picture frame black because I thought that it would make the colors of the scrapbook paper pop more.

Let Dry.

Step 3:

Coat the lamp base, the picture frame, and the drawer with Mod Podge. It acts as a finish, and dries clear so that it doesn’t affect or change the color of the paint underneath.

Let Dry.

Step 4:

Take the scrapbook paper, cover the back with Mod Podge, and secure it inside the picture frame, (here I did so behind the matting).

Step 5:

Use the wood glue to attach the lamp base to the bottom of the drawer.

Let Dry.

**However, as common sense would dictate, this would only really work if both were made from WOOD. (This goes for Step 6 as well.)

If not, there are other adhesives available that would be better suited to cement different materials together.

Step 6:

Then cover the rim of the top of the drawer with wood glue, and attach the drawer to the  back of the picture frame.

Once the wood glue dries, and I suggest you let it do so overnight, you can use your table!

Hope you like it!

Wall Jewelry Display Tutorial

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Inspiration: I used to just have a drawer where I threw all my necklaces and other jewelry, but when I went to wear one, I would have to detangle them from an impossible knot that always seemed like it had to have been made intentionally. Jewelry displays can be expensive, and if they aren’t, they just aren’t that cute and just look like they should be mounted in a closet instead of displayed on a wall. So, I decided to make one with supplies I already had that would double as wall art and as a place to hang necklaces (other jewelry could be displayed here too). Although I already had the supplies, the art supplies I used can still be purchased at any crafts store such as Michaels, Joanne Fabrics, etc., and the decorations can be made from anything from old jewelry, to specifically purchased pendants & embellishments from said crafts stores.

 

Jewelry Display Materials:

1. 3 Small Canvases:

2. Orange and Mustard Yellow Paint 

3. Sponge/Foam Paint Brush(es):

4. Gold Gauge Headpins:

5. Embellishments

6. Pliers 

7. Glue (Krazy Glue and/or Hot Glue and/or Fabric/Vinyl/Canvas Glue)

Step 1:

    ——>        

Paint the Canvas. You can obviously use whatever colors you want, but I chose an ombre style that gradually moved from the mustard yellow at the top to the darker orange at the bottom.

-I purchased the paint at Michaels Crafts in case you were wondering

To Create The Ombre Look: I painted the top with mustard yellow by itself, and then as I moved downward, I gradually started mixing more and more of the orange paint into the mustard yellow paint. As I moved downward, I started using less and less of the mustard yellow, until I finally painted the bottom solely with the orange paint.

LET IT DRY.

Step 2:

To Make the Posts Where The Jewelry Will Hang: Use the pliers to bend one end of the gauge pins so that the bent side will look like a small loop. Bend the loop forward so that the loop looks like a base on which the pin could stand. This will secure the pin so that it doesn’t slip through the canvas when hanging jewelry on it.

Push the Pin’s Unbent side through the Canvas: The bent side should be secure up against the back side of the canvas, and the unbent side should be sticking straight out through the front.

Bend the Top of the Pin’s Remaining Straight Side Into a Loop: This loop should mirror the one that is secured in the back, on the other side of the canvas. (It should make a 90 degree angle with the rest of the pin) It will prevent jewelry from sliding off the pin, and will also create a base on which to secure the embellishments.

*You can put a little glue between the loop in the back of the canvas and the canvas so to secure it even further, and to prevent the pin from wobbling in the canvas if the canvas is thin or flimsy and wouldn’t be able to steady the pin on its own.

LET ADHESIVE DRY. 

Step 3:

   ————–>    

Secure Embellishments to the Pins: I used a special adhesive that I use in the rest of my jewelry to secure the flowered embellishments to the loops I created on the pins-(however, on another canvas I tested the strength of both krazy glue and hot glue in securing the embellishments to the pins, and they are holding strong.)

Secure the Embellishments to the Canvas: I used an adhesive that is meant to hold fabrics, vinyl, canvas, etc. together in order to secure the key & other bronze embellishment to the canvas itself (however, as I mentioned above, I also tested this process using krazy glue and hot glue. Krazy glue works great and is holding strong, but hot glue makes it more difficult because these specific embellishments are a bit heavier than hot glue is meant for, and also the hot glue leaks out the sides too much when pressing on it to make sure it holds)

LET ADHESIVE(S) DRY.

Step 4:

Um, okay so use it now? I just felt like there should be another step… but there doesn’t seem to be one that isn’t obvious.

Enjoy!

Recycle Your Old Jewelry!

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Orange and Blue are the colors of the season, and everyone is wearing them together. I needed a pair of orange earrings to go with a navy dress that I wanted to wear for an event, but I couldn’t find any that I really wanted. So, I sifted through my pile of old jewelry, and found some orange beads and gold pendants on some necklaces that I used to wear. They seemed the perfect size to combine with other pieces to make into a pair of earrings. I combined some chain, beads, and other materials I had in my jewelry arsenal, and this great new pair of earrings (and several other similar pairs) was/were born!

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$12

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